Sam Hancock
Live page editor, in Washington DC

Prosecutors have unveiled the five criminal charges that New York City Mayor Eric Adams faces:

• Conspiracy to commit wire fraud
• Receiving illegal campaign contributions by a foreign national
• Two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national
• Bribery

They make him the first sitting mayor in NYC's history to be charged with criminal offences - but speaking to reporters earlier, the former police officer said he looked "forward to defending myself" and insisted he wouldn't resign.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, say Adams knew he was accepting illegal campaign contributions and committed a "grave breach of public trust" in doing so.

You can get more of a sense of what we learnt today from our earlier round-up; you can keep reading about the fallout from today in our main news story; or if it's an explainer you're after, to understand what all this is about, the BBC's Bernd Debusmann Jr has you covered.

As for our live coverage, which was brought to you by Marita Moloney, Caitlin Wilson, Madeline Halpert, Brandon Drenon and me, that ends here. Thanks for following along.

There's a growing list of top city officials who've faced questions amid the federal corruption investigation into Eric Adams's office. Some have gone on to step down - though resigning is something Adams says he isn't planning to do.

Here's a reminder of their names:

Edward A Caban resigned as New York City's police commissioner earlier this month - he did so after federal investigators seized his phone.

Two days later, Lisa Zornberg, the mayor’s counsel and chief legal adviser, resigned too. "I am tendering my resignation, effective today, as I have concluded that I can no longer effectively serve in my position," she wrote in a letter to Adams. "I wish you nothing but the best."

Others to resign include Dr Ashwin Vasan, the city's health commissioner, and David C Banks, schools chancellor.

Image source, gett

We're hearing from New York Governor Kathy Hochul for the first time since the charges against Eric Adams were unsealed.

Hochul, who has the power to remove Adams from office, says she's examining the charges against the mayor and will be thoughtful when deciding whether to force him out, the New York Times is reporting.

"My number one responsibility is to make sure that the people of New York City and the state of New York are served," she's quoted as saying.

"This is a very serious matter that is unfolding."

Eric Adams has become the first New York mayor, in the city's history, to be charged while in office. Earlier, federal prosecutors unsealed their indictment, charging him on five counts, including wire fraud and bribery.

Here's what we've learnt:

• The five charges against Adams were revealed as conspiracy to commit wire fraud, receiving illegal campaign contributions by a foreign national, two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national, and bribery
• Prosecutors accused Adams of a "long running" conspiracy and said the mayor committed a "grave breach of public trust" by accepting bribes and campaign donations from Turkish officials in exchange for political favours
• Speaking to reporters shortly after the charges were announced - against a backdrop of hecklers shouting at him to resign - Adams said he looked forward to proving his innocence in court and said simply "no" when asked if there was any circumstance under which he'd resign
• New York federal prosecutor Damian Williams said Adams received more than $100,000 (£74,532) in personal benefits, including stays at a luxury hotel, yacht tours and business class flights - which, Williams said, Adams had a "duty to disclose"
• Prosecutors said these benefits came with "strings attached" and that, in exchange, Adams performed favours for Turkish officials - including signing off on the opening of a high-rise consulate building for the Turkish government, despite safety concerns.

In that news conference we heard earlier, US Attorney Damian Williams was one of those speaking.

He described the actions of Eric Adams as a "long running conspiracy in which he solicited and knowingly accepted illegal campaign contributions from foreign donors and corporations".

"Mayor Adams took these contributions even though he knew they were illegal, and even though he knew these contributions were attempts by a Turkish government official and Turkish businessmen to buy influence with him," Adams says - which you can watch below:

You can also read more about the Turkish allegations here.

Image source, Reuters

Eric Adams campaigned to be New York City's mayor on a platform of reining in crime in the city. His tenure, which began in 2022, has been marked by efforts to introduce plastic bins to the city's streets in a bid to tackle waste being left out and a prolific rat population.

He faced scrutiny early, when shortly after he was sworn into office, Adams sought a waiver from NYC's Conflicts of Interest Board to hire his brother, Bernard, for a job with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to be Adams’s "personal security detail".

The position reportedly pays $210,000 (£147,095).

As gun violence in NYC rose - marked by the shooting death of two NYPD officers - Adams reintroduced a plain-clothes police unit to the city focused on countering gun violence.

Amid rising homelessness, he instituted a zero-tolerance policy for homeless people sleeping on subway cars and train stations. He tasked police with assisting them to find a shelter or mental health facility instead.

Adams also called on NYC companies to rescind “remote work” policies, hoping to boost local business. At the time, he said: “You can’t stay home in your pajamas all day.”

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from New York

The indictment lays out an alleged scheme of corruption and bribery that spans a decade, where Eric Adams is said to have accepted illegal campaign funds and $100,000 luxury travel benefits from Turkish businessmen and an official seeking to gain his influence.

In his run for mayor, Eric Adams is accused of compounding his illegal gains by stealing public funds.

Prosecutors say his campaign applied and received NYC funds that are supposed to match small dollar contributions from city residents, which amounted to more than £10m.

The mayor and others working for him allegedly tried to hide his actions. The indictment cites one instance where he assured someone in writing that he “always” deleted her messages.

In September of 2021, a Turkish official allegedly told the mayor it was his turn to repay him – by signing off on the opening of a high-rise consulate building for the Turkish government despite safety concerns.

Adams is accused of pressuring fire department officials to get it done.

Appearing at a public event with supporters where he was heckled by some in the crowd, he proclaimed his innocence and asked city residents to wait and hear his side of the story.

Officials are discussing the consequences of indicting New York City's top official.

The mayor should "set the standard" for all of city government, one of the prosecutors says.

But instead, the indictment alleges Adams "abused his power and position for nearly a decade" as Brooklyn Borough president and as mayor with the goal of enriching himself, the prosecutor says.

That wraps up the news conference, we'll bring you more updates and analysis shortly.

Speaking at the news conference, FBI representative James Dennehy says that the case is ultimately about accountability and holding officials to a higher standard.

He adds that the case is also about supporting those they've hurt.

"It's up to us to demand more from our leaders", he said, adding that public office should never be "abused" by lawmakers.

Prosecutors go on to say that the years of Adams allegedly hiding benefits and payments were "a grave breach of the public's trust".

"Public office is a privilege. We allege that Mayor Adams abused that privilege and broke the law," they say.

Damian Williams has vowed that the "investigation continues" and the other people may face prosecution.

"We will hold more people accountable," he says.

The US Attorney also says he encouraged potential witnesses or those with information to come forward and inform investigators.

Williams adds that the investigation is not political, saying it is "focused not on the right or left" but only "on right or wrong".

Image source, Reuters

Prosecutors say the alleged benefits Adams received came with "strings attached".

Turkish officials gave all these things, the US Attorney says, "to gain influence over him".

"Adams knew that and took the benefits anyway," Williams says.

He then mentions an instance in 2021 when Adams allegedly pushed forward with plans to build a new high rise in New York City, intended to house Turkey officials, despite FDNY officials advising against it over safety concerns.

After the FDNY resisted the Turkish developers' calls, a Turkey official messaged Adams and said it was "his turn to support Turkey", Williams alleges.

Image source, Reuters

Damian Williams is now describing, in detail, the lavish gifts he alleges that Adams accepted.

These mostly include free upgrades and stays in Istanbul, including at the city's St Regis Hotel, he tells the news conference.

Other alleged gifts include yacht tours, meals and flights. The trips to and through Turkey totalled over $100,000, he adds.

"None of this was publicly disclosed," Williams says.

"These upgrades and freebies were not part of some frequent flyer or loyalty programme available to the public," he adds, instead describing them as criminal conduct over many years.

Williams also alleges that Adams created "fake paper trails" to hide his conduct.

In exchange, a Turkish official sought "influence" over Adams, including help with paperwork needed to open Turkey House, which houses the country's diplomatic missions in New York, the prosecutor says.

US Attorney Damian Williams says Adams relied on straw donors, or a person who contributes someone else's money to a campaign while hiding the contribution's source.

"Adams circumvented all these laws... taking this money from exactly who the law prohibits," prosecutors said.

"He also personally benefited from the illegal conduct... over $100,000 (£74,532) in travel benefits for years from wealthy Turkish people and at least one Turkish official."

None of it was publicly disclosed, prosecutors allege.

Williams is laying out the charges against Adams, which accuse him of receiving "opulent" gifts over many years.

Williams adds that Adams "rekindled" relationships with foreign sources to illegally support his re-election bid, as well as contributions from corporations.

"Many of those illegal corporate contributions were organised by the same people as those who organised the illegal foreign donations," he said.

These transactions, he said, all used straw donors in a bid to hide his activity.

New York federal prosecutors said Adams's corruption conspiracy had been "long-running", dating back to 2018.

"Year after year after year, he kept the public in the dark. He told the public he received no gifts, even though he was secretly being showered with them," US Attorney Damian Williams says.

Federal prosecutors are now detailing the charges against NYC Mayor Eric Adams.

Stick with us as we bring you the top lines. You can watch live at the top of this page.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from New York

Image source, EPA

New Yorkers are all anxiously waiting to see how this plays out.

Mayor Eric Adams has spent nearly a year under pressure and under a cloud of federal investigations. He is still at his official residence at Gracie Mansion, where in the early hours of the morning federal agents seized his phone and executed a search warrant.

His lawyer in a statement accused investigators of trying to create a spectacle, instead of allowing him to “happily” turn the device in himself.

Despite the chaos at City Hall, this morning the mayor’s press office didn’t send out any statements relevant to the indictment, but rather a press release on a new initiative.

They might not want to show it, but it’s no longer business as usual.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from New York

Adams's alleged luxurious trips to Turkey and other foreign locations starting in 2016 are heavily featured in the indictment.

Prosecutors say he accepted a number of gifts from foreign officials, including discounted business class flights to Turkey and discounted stays at suites in the St. Regis Istanbul hotel that would have normally cost $7,000.

Adams is accused of not disclosing any of these foreign gifts he received, as is legally required.

Eric Adams concluded his press conference with growing chants from a gathered crowd calling for him to resign.

"Resign, resign, resign," they yelled, as he walked away.